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Monthly Archives: September 2013

I was busy at work when I got the nicest surprise–my PixaRoll photos have arrived! I couldn’t stop smiling as I opened the package. They were like jumbo Instagram photos and they really made my day. I showed it to my officemates and we marveled at the wonders of technology and mail. Thank you, PixaRoll!

When I got home, I immediately opened my washi treasure box and picked a nice roll for my PixaRoll (haha see what I did there) photos. This one has that earthy vibe to it so I used it to stick my PixaRoll photos in front of our cabinet. They make me smile each time I see them:

I like how they’re able to print 4X4 Instagram squares, they’re perfect for a jumbly collage with washi:

…or arranged neatly, still with washi as an accent and sticking tool:

Have you liked the PixaRoll PH fan page yet? If you haven’t, please do! When the “likes” reach 1000, the prints will be discounted, yay! Share the happy news to your friends and like like like 🙂

When it comes to photography, Aleyn is truly one of my idols. I think of her photos as pages in a picture book: Dreamy, a bit mysterious and full of stories. I think it’s very fitting that I actually got to meet her because of a story involving a book, and how I recently bumped into her inside a bookstore. I’m so happy she loves books so much as I do!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your art/craft.

Hello! I’m Aleyn and I love to take pictures.

2. What are your favorite tools in creating art and why do you love them?

My Pentax k1000 and whatever 35mm film I can get my hands on.

I love them for the magic they give on my photographs. They help me make things happen.

3. Can you tell us about your daily routine or your artistic process?

It depends on my mood. I can be very productive at one point and be totally useless on another.

4. What inspires you? What makes you excited?

It always makes me so happy when I’m able to find interesting and inspiring blogs and websites.

Stories of people and stories from books inspire me greatly.

5. Who are the local and foreign artists you admire the most?

Far too many! I’m afraid I’ll miss out on one so I’ll just be safe and say that the artist I admire most is my dad.

6. Most inspiring place in the Philippines?
Ilocos Norte.

If I had the money, I’ll buy a lot there and build a house on top of a cliff overlooking the sea.

7. If you were stuck in an island and could only bring one thing with you, what would it be and why?

A really thick book of short stories. I need to get back to reading more so it’s good place to start. I love novels more but I might finish it in one sitting if it’s too good and may not be able to do anything after.

I thought of bringing my camera but since I can only bring one thing, I won’t be able to produce anything with just a camera and no film. Or a just film without a camera.

8. Favorite snack/s while creating art?

Well, it’s actually kind of hard to eat and shoot at the same time but when I’m sorting out photos, I love having a cup of tea and and some cupcakes around.

9. Earliest childhood memory related to arts/crafts?

There’s actually too many but I’ll just share my faves and that would be doing cross stitch on top of a tree and making tote bags using discarded cloths from my aunt’s sewing shop. I think was 10 when I did all these.

10. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a businesswoman because I used to sell stickers that you use as earrings to my classmates in 2nd grade and I thought you can just become one by doing just that.

11. What’s your current job now?

Head of Concept Development and Senior Video Editor. I’m also assigned to design the company collaterals and main office.

12. Favorite books and/or movies?

The Anne Series by L.M. Montgomery, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Every Day by David Levithan and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Flipped (I like the book too!), Stardust (I like the book as well!), Harry Potter Series (I’m torn between liking the book or the movie more), Wes Anderson and Jane Campion films and a billion others.

13. What is your philosophy when creating/making art?

“Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.” -helps me to truly capture something extraordinary in the ordinary.

BONUS question:

The Universe starts from scratch and you’re given the chance to be reincarnated as a famous artist. Which artist would you choose and why?

I wish to be Tim Walker because I love all his work. His photos are so beautiful and ethereal!

Where can we see your awesome work? (plug away!) What are you working on right now?

Remember when we celebrated my birthday with a trip to my new favorite local museum and pottery store/restaurant? Well, we were able to visit that place again, since it was my dad’s birthday! Joy!

I’ll tell you more about the Pinto trip in my next post, but I’d like to share more about our lunch at Crescent Moon Cafe.

It’s my second time here, and I forgot if this was here before, but we saw the plant “buhok ni Ester” hanging in a line outside the cafe. I grew up with these plants, since my lola had a green thumb and our house was surrounded with flowers she lovingly tended. She would wake up early, and water each plant lovingly with the hose, talking to it sometimes. This particular plant looked weird to me, but it fascinated me when it changed color from white to green when wet:

Pottery pieces you can buy by weight:

I wish I made windchimes back in pottery class!

Can you spot the bubbles? I bought bubbles from Booksale the day before since I got too excited. Gave it to the kids around Pinto before we left the art gallery.

We were fed bulalo, alagao leaves salad, chili crabs, fish, pork binagoongan and ginataan and mangga’t suman for dessert. Yummy! I love the taste and the presentation. I became quite giddy when I saw the numerous handmade stoneware plates that we used for that lunch. I love their attention to detail and all the handmade touches.

I was trying to save so I wasn’t able to shop this time, but I wanted these lovelies:

I have been having fun with it and studying ways on how to maximize its potential. I read somewhere that it works on fabric, so I tried it with a canvas pouch. The inspiration behind this is the children’s book “Lilit Bulilit and the Babe in the Womb” from Nick Joaquin’s series ‘Pop Stories for Groovy Children’.

Backstory: My parents saved up when I was young so they could buy the whole series and it was a big part of my childhood. We’ve donated them to an orphanage when we outgrew them, and I hope those kids loved the books as much as my brother and I did. I remember Lilit and her pearl necklace and how she liked sucking babies from wombs–she’s actually a very lovely monster based on the local aswang called “tiktik”–if I remember the story correctly. The illustrations in the entire series are beautiful, and I do hope they reprint the entire series soon!

Here’s what I did–I haven’t tried ironing it yet since I don’t have an iron and I haven’t washed it yet, heh. I used a Rubadub fabric sharpie for the outline so the details would be finer:

I’ve also been experimenting with watercolor techniques. Stumbled upon Cathy Johnson’s tutorials and I just want to say that she is an excellent teacher. She’s so creative and generous with her knowledge. Do check out her other tips in her site.

With her tips, I tried creating various textures using watercolors:

At Ayala Museum a few days ago, I was able to watch Near Equal Kusama Yayoi-I Adore Myself, which is a documentary about Yayoi Kusama from Japan. She’s one of my heroes, and it was very inspiring seeing how talented and hardworking she is. I love that she’s proud of her work; she tries her best to outdo herself and she succeeds. I was floored when I saw how meticulous her process of creation is–I get excited when there’s stop-motion process footage. With just markers and a huge blank canvas, she creates her trademark artworks filled with staggering detail and emotional weight. She has a modern, feminist vision when it comes to making art, and she has the guts and bravado to push that vision to the awe-inspiring finish. I love her and want to be her when I grow up. I made this portrait of her in the poster while waiting for it to start and was unable to finish it. Unfinished forever. Love you forever, Yayoi Kusama!

My friends and I have been talking about this cool app called PixaRolllately, the “photo kiosk” in your phone.

If you’re addicted to Instagram like me (I currently have more than 1000 photos within a year!), you probably reached a point where you wished you could print your fave IG photos instantly too. Think of PixaRoll as a photo genie, making your photo-printing wishes come true! You can also print not only Instagram photos, but also other photos you have stored in your phone–read more about it here.

Have I also mentioned that there’s a huge possibility of cheaper prints when there are more likes in the PixaRoll PH facebook page? Let’s all work together and spread the word so we can make this happen! Think of all the artsycraftsy possibilities when you get your prints: scrapbook pages, visual diaries, travel journals, home decor, even makeshift cards and postcards! I can already envision creating a handmade album for the printed photos and giving it as a Christmas gift to the people I love. Instant tangible memories! I’m multi-tasking and selecting photos that I want printed as I type this entry. Haha 🙂

Can’t wait to get my prints–stay tuned for more artsycraftsy ideas on how you can use the PixaRoll prints!

I’m so in love with magazines.
I love how it feels when you get to meet a new mag that just speaks to you, the kind that understands all your quirks and obsessions, the kind that makes you think “Where have you been all my life?”
The feeling is priceless when you discover a magazine that you love about a topic that you’re passionate about. I know that’s how I felt when I first got my hands on magazines that made me feel like it was made for me: Bust, Bitch, Readymade,
Oh Comely, Frankie, Lula, Martha Stewart Living and Venus Zine, among many others. In reading them, I felt connected and I instantly felt like I had new friends–new idols, new books/movies/music/noms to discover, new places to visit and most importantly, new eyes.
With the act of reading about a topic I am already passionate about, I get to learn so much more and appreciate what I already love.

It doesn’t seem surprising then, that I added “Create an online zine with a fun theme per issue with things I love and think others will love too” to my grand bucket list.
I dreamt of a zine called “Matchstick”, and even had my graphic designer friend create a logo for it. I contacted friends who might be interested and started coming up with stories, but life somehow got in the way. That dream still lived though. Years later, the universe would be placing me in a serendipitous situation where I would finally get to fulfill that dream.

Together with my friends, Geli, Allie, Aya and Cachi, we came up with a magazine called Katha. Since we all love arts and crafts and good design, Katha is filled with that and more–as we’ve mentioned in our FB page, “Katha Magazine celebrates Filipino creatives and their boundless imagination.”

Today we release our very first issue. I can’t be more proud of our baby! Thanks to everyone who helped us create this, we’re so grateful! Thank you also to my lovely friends from the Katha team! Work seems like play with these girls. 🙂

I hope that when you read it it brings a smile to your face and that it inspires you to create, collaborate and share your passion with the world.

Mabuhay!

Hi! I'm Drea Dela Cruz, an artist/crafter from Manila, Philippines.

I love trying new things related to arts and crafts and experimenting with various materials.

I started this blog because I wanted to share my love for the DIY movement--I believe everyone has that artistic side that makes them unique and special and I support encouraging fellow makers. Keep on making things!

Aside from arts and crafts, I also enjoy reading books and magazines, playing with stray cats, traveling, and eating. I'd love to share my artsy-craftsy adventures and journey with you here!

If you wanna get in touch with me, kindly email: mabuhaydiy@gmail.com.